When was the last time you were tempted by a second-hand online deal? Did you find a life-changing jackpot in something you bought, such as a piece of furniture? Not everyone is as fortunate as Bitterfeld native Thomas Heller, who is 50 years old.
Thomas was going about his profession as a social worker when he came across an ordinary kitchen cabinet on eBay for a reasonable price. He made the decision to purchase it and proceeded without hesitation.
But he had no idea that this run-down second-hand wood veneer closet was hiding a huge fortune that might change his life in a second.
The cabinet in question originated from an estate in Halle, East Germany, owned by an old couple. When Thomas found the item for sale on an auction site, he chose to purchase it on the spot.
He had no second thoughts or concerns because all he wanted was to possess them and add something useful to his kitchen.
On April 14, 2022, Thomas successfully negotiated a price reduction from $316 to roughly $253. He was clearly happy about his buy. He’d managed to save about $50 and bring home a new addition from his childhood.
However, a few days after the purchase, he noticed something strange. When Thomas saw two concealed boxes deep within the room, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
He peered into the boxes and was taken aback to discover that they were full with cash. It wasn’t just a few coins that could be tallied in a matter of seconds. It was a big cash, divided into two parcels!
The case was subsequently taken to district court, and an investigation was launched to discover the cabinet’s original owner. More amazing information emerged as a result of the procedure.
Thomas couldn’t believe how much money he’d just retrieved. He was taken aback and concluded that the bills had been left there for a long time and had been forgotten about.
The situation was complicated.
For Thomas, it was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. He’d had the cabinet in his kitchen for a few days and had no idea it was hiding such a large sum of money. According to him,
‘One was open, and I was staring at a stack of €100 bills.’
Most people would surely have vivid fantasies about what they would do if they won such a large sum of money unexpectedly. Thomas, on the other hand, saw things differently and realized that the money was useless to him.
Instead of pocketing the cash and keeping quiet about the find, he went straight to the cops and alerted them of his discovery. Thomas continued,’
‘In front of my eyes, they unlocked the second, locked closet. The envelopes contained larger banknotes. There are a total of 250 people in the room.’
The officers were taken aback when they discovered the money. Furthermore, Thomas’s candor rendered them dumbfounded.
The case was subsequently taken to district court, and an investigation was launched to discover the cabinet’s original owner. More amazing information emerged as a result of the procedure.
The cabinet was auctioned off from an estate liquidation that belonged to an older couple, according to a police spokesperson. While this was already known, further research revealed that the cash Thomas discovered belonged to a 91-year-old woman who was being cared for in a nursing facility.
She had left everything behind after her husband died, and her grandson was in charge of the estate. He was the one who sold Thomas the cabinets. According to the spokesperson:
‘The two cash boxes were well hidden in difficult-to-see areas of the furniture.’
Thomas’s story eventually gained great public attention. For his honesty, he became the talk of the town. The elderly couple’s grandson, on the other hand, stated that he was unaware of the stashed money in his late grandparents’ cabinet.
Keeping found money worth $10 or more is a crime in Germany. According to the report, violating the rule might result in a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Thomas rose through the ranks to become a man of distinction. The Good Samaritan was given a three percent finder’s fee worth $4,700 as a thank you for his loyalty. However, we have no idea how Thomas planned to use this money!
